I Can Only Respond with Silence

Every day that we turn our television on, we learn of events that make us angry, gloomy, anxious, and fearful. These events may not directly affect us, but we become participants when we spend our time following through these events and reacting to every single word or action done by the characters in these events. Sometimes, the issues we watch become triggers to heated discussions which lead to unwelcome altercations and personal insults. When we become ‘active participants’ in these issues, we end up feeling more frustrated. So, what is the best way to respond to issues such as the war in Ukraine, the Uvalde shooting, the Roe & Wade, or even the Amber Heard Vs. Johnny Depp case?

I believe that remaining silent is the best response to maintaining our inner peace in the midst of conflicts . Even in cases where the party or idea we are rooting for is winning, we still remain silent because it is simply the proper thing to do. For example, I was with a small group of friends when the Heard Vs. Depp case was being heard and shown on television. These friends were interested in following the case, so they keep tabs when to turn the television on. Every time Ms. Heard came on screen, one of these friends would comment saying, “She is an “absolute liar”. Of Depp, her words become more favorable: “He still looks the handsome guy that he is.” Another friend would add, “I hope he wins the case,” or “He does not seem abusive,” and so on and so forth. I thought that because these friends were married, they would somehow understand that a single party cannot solely be blamed for a problem in the partnership. So, even if the jury declared Depp to be the winner in this case, it does not mean the guilty party is 100 percent wrong. Depp and Heard are two beautiful, talented individuals who once loved each other but could not keep it together for the long haul because of their human flaw – something we all have. When a relationship disintegrates, we feel sorry for the people involved.

Abortion is another issue when we should refrain from blabbering our stand; instead, let our hearts listen. Some of us believe that we should protect life in all its stages and forms regardless of the circumstances when the baby came into being, so we rejoice in the overturn of Roe & Wade. There are those who believe in the same thing but recognize that there should be exceptions such as ectopic pregnancies or pregnancies caused by incest, so they are disappointed that the Supreme Court’s opinion did not give consideration to these exceptions. A majority of people however believe that a woman should have the right to do what she thinks is right for her body. No matter your stand, any issue that deals with life is serious stuff. There is no straight answer to the “to be or not to be” dilemma; therefore, if the decision of the Supreme Court is favorable to you, be glad but do not deride the other side.

If we are to make our side of the issue known, we talk and act in a way that we still respect others even those whose views are different from ours. When discussions of issues become tense or even toxic, a strong person knows silence is the way to go.